In Pursuit of Lilly
by shan14
Summary: when Scottys wife leaves him with nothing except two bags, a teddy bear, a toy car and a 4 year old son he goes in pursuit of the life he once had and the woman at the centre of it. Scotty cenric but LillyScotty in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N This is my first Cold Case story. I have written some Bones and Standoff ones but this little idea wouldn't leave me alone so i decided to role with it. I got the idea from seeing an add for the movie In Pursuit of happiness ( or whatever it is called). Having not actually seen the film, i don't know exactly what happens so nothing in my story comes from the movie, only the title and the idea of a guy with a young son trying to pick up the pieces of his life. Hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing that is affiliated with Cold Case or The Pursuit of Happiness, i do own Luca, Hannah, Jessie and Thomas.**

He was standing in the middle of a beach or at least he thought he was. He could feel the soft sand under foot, taste the salty air in his mouth, yep it was definitely the beach, but something was wrong. It was like staring at a picture that you know has something that's not quite right but you can't tell what. Then you stare at it a bit more and suddenly you see it, like it's the clearest thing in the picture and you wonder how you didn't see it all along. That was how he was feeling now and it scared the hell out of him. He turned his head to the side and that was when he saw her, running towards him down the beach. 'Daniella' he tried to call but nothing would come out. He tried again, over and over but all that he could hear was the whistle of the wind and the waves lapping up against the sand. In, out, in, out. She was getting closer now; soon he would be able to see the soft strands of brown hair that she always left out or her dark eyes, darker than any he had seen before. The wind whipped up a spray of sand and he closed his eyes defensively, when he opened them again she was standing right in front of him. He saw her mouth 'sorry' to him and he frowned not understanding what she was sorry for. Then she reached out her hand and stuck it into his chest squeezing hard. He screamed in agony but he could hear nothing only the waves lapping against the sand. In, out, in out, and then a little boy yelling 'Daddy, Daddy' where was that coming from, he wondered.

"Daddy" yelled Luca tugging at his father's sleeve. "Daddy, wake up"

"What?" asked Scotty bolting up into a sitting position. He looked down at Luca who by now had climbed onto his lap to look him in the eyes. "You were yelling" said the 4 year old before placing his hands on Scotty's forehead. "What are you doing?" asked Scotty, waving the boys hands away from his face.

"What mummy does when I have a bad dream" he replied with his don't-you-know-anything look, that he had adopted from his grandfather while staying the night one time.

"Oh" said Scotty. "I'm fine" he told the boy before lying back down on his side to sleep.

Unfortunately Luca had other plans. He climbed up until he was sitting on Scotty's side and stared him in the face before asking curiously "What was your dream about?"

""Nothing Luca" said Scotty, dismissively. "Now go back to sleep"

His only response was a loud sigh followed by a Luca's tell-me-now pout.

"Fine then" muttered Scotty. "I dreamed that I was at the beach" he said quickly before rolling back over to face away from his son. Luca sat back deciding whether now was a good time to test his father's patience. Of course, being the 4 and a half year old boy he was, his own curiosity prevailed so after a few more seconds silence he leaned against Scotty's back and inquired innocently as to whether it was a nice beach or not.

"Luca" growled Scotty "It was just a beach, it had sand and water"

"Yes but was it nice like the one Grandma took me to or weird like the one that Sam next door went to on holiday's last year?"

"Well having not been on that holiday my self I would have to say I don't know, Luca but if you ask me one more question about it I might just send you off to the beach with Sam". So with that Scotty rolled back over, pulled his jacket over his eyes and willed him self to fall asleep before Luca's inquisitive four year old mind could come up with any more questions.

"Mummy would have told me if the beach was nice" grumbled Luca staring angrily at his fathers back.

"What did you say?" asked Scotty.

"I said Mummy would have told me if the beach was nice" Luca all but yelled.

"Yeah, well your mothers gone so I guess you're just stuck with me" said Scotty, this time succeeding in yelling where Luca had failed. He immediately regretted it though and after hearing Luca pull in a few sharp breathes that meant tears would follow he reached over and pulled the trembling boy onto his lap and held him tight against his chest. "I'm sorry" he whispered over and over again in the boy's ear gently stroking his golden hair. Sometimes he forgot that behind the strong words was a young four year old boy. Almost five, he corrected him self. He thought back a few day's to when Luca had first enlightened him to that knowledge. They had been at the fair when a lady sitting with them on the carousel had asked how old he was. Luca replied with a very educated 'Well I'm not four, but I'm not really five either". When the lady asked him how that was so, he leaned in close 'well' he answered and then nodded his head as if letting her in on a big secret 'I'm almost five, so I figure I can't just say I'm four, but I'm not five yet' and with that he had nodded his little golden head decisively and gone back to eating his giant fairy-floss.

"I'm sorry as well Daddy" he whispered in between sobbing induced hiccups.

Scotty looked down at the young boy staring back up at him "What for?" he asked.

"For asking to many questions" he replied before hitting Scotty with another don't-you-know-anything look undertoned with an I'm-sorry-please-forgive-me look.

"That's okay" whispered Scotty. "You should never stop asking questions" he told his son "But let's make a deal. No questions between 10 pm and 6 am, okay"

"Okay" agreed Luca "Shake"

"Shake" agreed Scotty grabbing the little hand in between his big one.

"Now, let's get some sleep" he said leaning back against the store room door, where his jacket had been propped up as a pillow. He positioned Luca so that he was lying against his chest. "We have a big day tomorrow" he told the little boy

"Where are we going?" asked Luca, sleep creeping into his voice.

"Philadelphia" answered Scotty, smiling slightly at the name.

"What's in Philadelphia?" asked Luca half asleep already.

"Luca" warned Scotty.

"Sorry" he whispered back softly before dropping his head against his dad's chest. Scotty looked down at his almost-sleeping son. He was still to tell the little boy that the reason the had been sleeping in a storeroom for the last week was because his mother had taken everything they owned but at the moment he didn't wanted to scare Luca who held his mother in the highest regard. So, instead he told him the only piece of good news he could think of. "Lilly" he whispered "Lilly's in Philadelphia"

**A/N So did you like it. i'm going away for the next two weeks so i won't be able to update till the 20th. Hopefully though if i come back and have heaps of reviews I will be inspired to write straight when i get home, so please read and then Review. Thankyou.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Sorry this took so long to update. i promise i'll have more up soon. This is unbeta'd so sorry for any spelling mistakes!** **Hope you like!**

"Daddy. How come birds can fly but I can't?" inquired Luca from the top of the slippery dip.

"I don't know buddy. I guess because they have wings and you don't" answered Scotty distractedly.

"But how come I don't have wings?" asked Luca, sitting down at the top of the slide.

"Well, because then you would be a bird, not Luca" replied Scotty.

"Oh" said Luca, pouting slightly before slipping down the slide. He landed with a thump on the dirt ground before jumping up again to climb up the ladder.

"Daddy I don't like this park" he told his father.

"Why's that?" asked Scotty.

"Because there are no swings, and no friends and no ice cream truck like the park at home" he complained.

"Well this parks a bit different, it has a lookout" suggested Scotty.

"But I want to go to the park at home" pouted Luca, giving Scotty an unhappy look.

"Well we can't Luca" sighed Scotty. He could see where this conversation was leading; in fact he was amazed it hadn't come about sooner.

"Why not" cried Luca, crossing his arms.

"Because we don't have a home to go to" said Scotty quietly.

"Oh" gapped Luca, sitting back. Tears started welling up in his eyes as he thought about having no home. "But that means no more toys, and no more friends" he stuttered.

"It does" nodded Scotty. "But I promise you can make more friends, and one day you'll get some more toys" whispered Scotty encouragingly. "Does that sound good?" he asked.

"I guess" nodded Luca "But I still want my old ones back"

"I know you do buddy" said Scotty, picking Luca up and carrying him over to the bench. "So do I" he whispered.

He sat Luca down on the bench and tied up his shoelaces quickly. Once he had finished father and son sat on the chair in quiet. Scotty trying to figure out where to go to next and Luca trying to decided whether to ask Scotty his very important question. The silence was broken by Luca ad he tugged on Scotty's sleeve.

"Daddy, can I ask a question?" he asked.

"Sure" nodded Scotty.

"Why did mummy leave" mumbled Luca uncertainly "Doesn't she like me any more?"

"No, never" assured Scotty in dismay. He pulled Luca onto his lap tightly.

"To tell you the truth buddy I don't know why she left" he muttered against the boys head.

"Did she get angry at us?" suggested Luca.

"Maybe, though I don't think so" replied Scotty. "I think she just needed some time to herself"

"Well is that time up?" asked Luca hopefully.

"Luca" sighed Scotty, turning the boy around to face him "To tell you the truth I don't know if it will be up for a long time" he sighed.

"But she promised me we'd make cookies" stuttered Luca, tears forming in his eyes.

"I'm sorry mate" whispered Scotty, pulling Luca close to his chest as he cried "I'm so sorry"

'Damn it Daniella' he thought "Are you happy now" he muttered.

_-----------------------------------------------------------------------_

"_Daddy, look at the train" yelled Luca, tugging at Scotty's hand as they waited to be served at the shops. _

"_Luca, don't yell" said Scotty. _

"_But it's so cool!" he cried in awe._

"_Sorry" apologised Scotty to the lady at the counter._

"_Oh, he's okay" she smiled. "I'm glad he likes it"_

"_Jut as long as he doesn't want it for Christmas" chuckled Scotty. _

"_Dad" can we have an ice cream?" asked Luca, abandoning the train. _

"_Maybe if your good's" sighed Scotty. _

"_That'll be $150 sir" said the lady. _

"_Thanks" smiled Scotty, handing the lady his card. She swiped it through before frowning. _

"_What's wrong?" asked Scotty. _

"_Oh, it just doesn't want to work" muttered the lady. She tried again but each time yielded the same result. _

"_It's saying that there's nothing on the card sir" she informed him. _

"_Uh, try this one" suggested Scotty uncertainly. _

"_I'm sorry sir, same result" said the lady. "Do you have cash?" she asked. _

"_Um, No" replied Scotty, rummaging through his wallet._

"_You know what don't worry" he smiled. "We'll come back another day" he said, nodding in apology. "Come on Luca" he called. _

"_Are we getting ice cream?" asked the boy excitedly. _

"_Um no. We have to go home" said Scotty. Something wasn't right, he could feel it._

"_But dad" complained Luca, dragging his feet. _

"_Luca just do as I said" yelled Scotty, dragging Luca up so his feet weren't touching the floor. _

"_Ow" cried Luca. "That hurt" he mumbled._

"_Just do it" ordered Scotty._

_15 minutes later they arrived home in silence. Scotty quickly ran up to the front door. Luca on the other hand, lagged behind, still angry with his father._

"_Daniella" called Scotty, banging on the door. He opened it quickly only to be meet with a clear room. Not a piece of furnisher was in sight. _

"_No" muttered Danny, sprinting into the other rooms. "No" he cried out. But the result was the same. Every room he ran into had the same result. Clear polished floorboards and no furnisher or belongings in sight. He ran upstairs to his bedroom. In the middle of the floor sat two bags, filled to the brim with clothes for he and Luca. On top lay a carefully folded note. Scotty ripped it open, reading the contents in disgust. _

_He sat back against the wall in shock. His wife had just left him. She had sent him away for three days but instead of painting had cleared the house and bank account and left him with two bags of clothes and a 4 year old. _

"_Daddy" whimpered Luca from the doorway. "My room's gone"_

_Scotty followed Luca into his bedroom where all the boys' belongings were gone except his teddy bear and toy car. Luca sat down where his bed used to be, staring around the room as the tears welled up in his eyes. _

"_What happened daddy?" he asked, bursting into tears._

"_I'm sorry mate" whispered Scotty, pulling Luca close to his chest as he cried "I'm so sorry"_

'_Damn it Daniella' he thought "Are you happy now" he muttered._

_--------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

"Daddy" whispered Luca as they sat on the bench "We have to find Lilly now"

"Yeah" nodded Scotty, smiling down at his son "Yeah we do"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N New chapter. the everyone cept Kat are in this one...including lilly! hope you like...**

Scotty strode through the Philly Police department building with one thought stuck in his head. 'Just get up there and do it' he kept telling himself. 'No one will think any less of you, all you have to do is talk to Stillman and it will be over'.

"Daddy" called Luca, running to catch up with his father "can you slow down?" he asked.

Scotty stopped in his tracks, turning around to see the little boy running after him, his toy truck in one hand and teddy bear trailing behind him in the other.

"Sorry bud" he apologised "how bout I carry you?" he asked, lifting the boy up into his arms.

"Is this the way to Lilly?" asked Luca, wiggling around in Scotty's arms to get comfortable.

"Yeah" chuckled Scotty. "Just up that lift" he said, pointing ahead "but we have to see my old boss first, then you can meet Lilly"

Luca pouted at him "do you have to have a meeting?" he asked.

"Um, sort off" nodded Scotty, "But your allowed to come" he added in.

"Really?" asked Luca, his face lighting up "cause at home I wasn't allowed in you or mummy's meetings"

"Well, things are different now" replied Scotty, smiling at the boy who nodded in agreement. "Shall we enter?" he asked playfully, punching at the elevator button.

"We shall" nodded Luca, in his best tough-man impression.

"Hey Will, you watch the game last night?" asked Nick, walking through the office towards his desk.

"Nah, I only got the last 10 minutes" he replied "Was it good"

"Are you guys still talking about baseball?" asked Lilly, grinning as she joined the two detectives.

"No" smiled Nick, "What would give you that idea?" he asked sarcastically.

"Well Stillman wanted to see you two in his office" said Lilly. "So you better get moving" she added, walking into the break room in search of something to drink.

"Never changes, does she" smiled Will, shaking his head as Lilly walked off.

"There's something that has changed" replied Nick, tugging at Will's sleeve. He pointed at the man emerging from the elevator.

"You look like you've seen a ghost" laughed Will.

"Would you shut up and look" snapped Nick. Will's laughing stopped short as he saw Scotty approach them.

"Hey" nodded Scotty in greeting, shuffling his feet nervously.

"Long time no see" replied Nick "How've you been?" he asked.

"Good" nodded Scotty "This is my son, Luca" he introduced "Luca, this is Nick and Will"

"Hi" waved Luca "I'm four and this is my toy truck. When I'm older I'm going to drive a truck like this one but a bit bigger" chatted Luca.

"That's a cute kid you got there" smiled Nick before bending down to Luca's level "Nice to meet you" he said, shaking Luca's hand.

"So what brings you up here?" asked Will.

"Umm, I have to talk to Stillman" replied Scotty.

"You decide that the high life wasn't for you" joked Nick, but he immediately regretted it as Scotty's face fell.

"Let's just say I didn't decide" said Scotty with a tight smile.

Nick and Will looked at each other, neither quite sure what to say to Scotty. Instead they were interrupted by Stillman coming out of his office.

"Scotty" he greeted, holding his hand out to shake.

"Boss" nodded Scotty in return, accepting the shake "Did you get the message?" he asked.

"Yes, Marie told me this morning. If you want to come through to my office, we can talk now" he suggested.

"That would be good" nodded Scotty, trying to pick up Luca the toy truck and teddy bear.

"How about we take Luca for you" suggested Nick.

"That okay with you bud" asked Scotty, looking down at the boy.

"But you said I was allowed in this meeting" complained Luca.

"I know mate, but you'll be bored" reasoned Scotty.

"How about you come with us into the break room and we'll see if we can find you some chocolate" suggested Will, grabbing Luca's attention at the word chocolate.

"Okay" he nodded excitedly, grabbing onto Will's hand and following the two men into the break room, teddy bear trailing behind him.

"So, what brings you up here?" asked Stillman from behind his desk as Scotty sat nervously in front of him.

Scotty drew in a deep breathe "Daniella's left, me" he explained, speaking the words allowed for the first time. His chest stung a little as he said the words, absorbing the fact that not only had he lost his house and belongings, but his wife, the mother of his child.

"Geez, Scotty. I'm sorry" said Stillman, running a hand over his head. "What happened, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Nah" replied Scotty before explaining his situation, right up until he had walked through the door this morning,

When he had finished Stillman lead him to the break room to get Luca and a cup of coffee. They had discussed the possibility of Scotty returning to his old job, or any that was available. Stillman had reassured him though, he had no problem with Scotty returning, and in fact they would need a new detective soon he had added. Firstly he had to clear it with the boss but Stillman was adamant the job was a good as his.

"Daddy" yelled Luca, jumping up off the lounge into Scotty's arms.

"I met Lilly" he squealed excitedly.

"Did you" smiled Scotty, ruffling the boy's hair. He turned around to face the blond standing near the coffee machine.

"It's good to see you again Scotty" she smiled "what brings you here?"

Scotty stood back a minute letting his gaze wash over her for a minute. It had been such a long time since he had last saw her. Her hair was still long and straight, though it was tied back in a messy ponytail, reminding him of when they had first met. His eyes travelled down her body till he saw the reason while Stillman would need another detective soon. Then he panicked.

"Daniella's redecorating the house this weekend and she didn't want the paint fumes hurting Luca with his asthma, so I told her I'd bring him down to met you guys" explained Scotty hurriedly, grabbing onto Luca's hand "we're headed back tomorrow" he added in before exiting the room with an apologetic glance towards Stillman.

He headed towards the elevator, before climbing in and hitting the emergency stop button half way between floors.

Things had just gotten a whole lot worse.


End file.
